Condensate pump

ABSTRACT

An improved condensate pump for use with items that exhibit condensation having an audible alarm and concentrating flange.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/250,038, filed Nov. 3, 2015, the entirety of which ishereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Damage to property from water occurs too frequently. Often such damagecan be prevented. In commercial and residential settings there areopportunities to protect property from flooding caused by machinery,particularly the type of machines that produce condensation. Some suchmachines, for example, are air conditioners, refrigerators, chillers,sumps, hot water heaters, dehumidifiers and water systems.

Devices have been made that will collect the water produced by thesetypes of machinery, generally referred to as condensate pumps. The pumpshave components that work to collect and expel water as it is collectedfrom the machinery's condensate. But, if condensate, such as water,collects and the pump has malfunctioned for some reason then the watercan spill over from the device and out onto property, causing damage.Several model condensate pumps exist in the market but they fail toprovide a loud and concentrated audible alarm.

Condensate pumps include a housing for the pump motor, switches, hosesand other necessary components. Additionally, a condensate pump includesa reservoir that hold collected condensate. However, often neither thehousing nor the reservoir is configured to assist in an overflowsituation. The pump may not provide an audible alarm that sounds in anoverflow situation and pump housings are not made that direct andconcentrate an audible alarm's sound in such a way as to maximize thealarm sound.

There is a need for a condensate pump that has an audible alarm. It isvery important that the alarm sound loudly because otherwise propertydamage can occur unnoticed by a property owner. There also exists in theindustry a need for a condensate pump with a housing that assists toconcentrate and direct an audible alarm during an overflow situation.Such a pump should be easy to use, inexpensive, and provide an audiblealert when a condensate pump needs attention, minimizing the risk ofoverflowing.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to an apparatus that satisfies thisneed. One embodiment of the invention comprises a pump housing that canbe made of any material, but is preferably molded from plastic. The pumphousing has at least one orifice passing through the housing proximal toa lip (or protrusion) extending outwards from the housing. The lip maybe fastened to the housing or may be made as an integral part of thehousing. In addition to the housing, the pump may include a reservoirwhere the pump collects the fluid which is being created by condensationcoming from machinery.

The embodiment will have at least one level indicator which is used tomonitor the level of condensate in the reservoir. It is manufactured andassembled to indicate a level of condensate that requires attention, sofor instance, if the condensate level rises to a dangerous level, thelevel indicator will provide an audible alarm. The reservoir includes afloat that rests upon the collected condensate. The at least one floatoperates mechanically, i.e. a mechanical float. In this way, by movingwith the level of condensate, the float is used to actuate the at leastone level indicator, making it sound. The at least one level indicatoremits sound waves when it is actuated by the at least one float. Thosesound waves will pass through the orifice and will be focused anddirected by the lip. This causes the sound waves to become concentratedand directed, making the sound increasingly more audible.

Another embodiment of the invention comprises a housing that has a holeand a lip. There is a reservoir located within the housing. Thereservoir can be an integral part of the housing, or it can be aseparate part that is assembled to be part of the pump. The reservoir iswhere the condensate liquid is collected. There is a float locatedwithin the reservoir. The float has a shaft like portion, a rod forexample, that is attached to the float. A level indicator has a switchwhich is electrically connected to the level indicator. When the switchis flipped it turns on the level indicator. The rod, sometimes referredto as the activator, is capable of contacting the switch and will do soif the float rises sufficiently to place the rod in contact with theswitch, activating the switch. The level indicator emits sound waveswhen it is actuated by the switch. The sound waves exit primarilythrough the hole. The lip, a sort of flange, is situated sufficientlynear the hole so that the sound waves emitted from the level indicatorencounter the lip and become concentrated and directed. This makes thesound coming from the apparatus more audible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawing where:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention with acutaway view of an interior portion of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of an embodiment of the invention pump.

FIG. 3 shows another front view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows another perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION

Overview.

As shown in FIG. 1, a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventionwith a cutaway portion comprises an improved condensate pump 1. Theinside of the pump 1 revealed by the cutaway portion shows an audiblealarm 2. The audible alarm has an activating mechanism, a switch 3. Theactivating mechanism 3 is triggered by a rod-like actuator 4 that isattached to a mechanical float 5. When condensate collects 6 the float 5rises and its actuator 4 operates the audible alarm 2 via the activatingmechanism 3. When the audible alarm 2 sounds, its sound waves passthrough an orifice 8 and those waves are concentrated and directed via asound directing flange 7 that is part of the pump's housing.

By manipulation of the sound waves via use of the orifice 8 and flange7, a user is able to better hear an alarm that warns that the pump needsattention.

As shown in FIG. 2, a front view of an embodiment of the inventioncomprises an improved condensate pump 13. The housing of the pump 13includes a flange 11. The flange 11 focuses and directs the sound wavesemanating from an alarm 10. The alarm 10 is situated in close proximityto an orifice 12 that works together with the flange 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, another front view of an embodiment of the inventioncomprises a pump 20. The pump 20 has molded into it a lip 23 and a hole24. The pump 20 has a housing 27 and a reservoir 28. Situated inside thereservoir 28 is a mechanical float 26. The mechanical float 26 hasattached to it a rod 21. When the float 26 rises, the rod 21 contacts aswitch 25. The switch 25 is connected to and able to activate an audiblelevel indicator 22. The audible level indicator 22 is situated proximateto the hole 24.

As show in FIG. 4, another perspective view of an embodiment of theinvention comprises a condensate pump 40. The condensate pump 40 hasmolded into its material an orifice 41 and a flange 42. There is locatedwithin the pump 40 a level indicator 43 that is actuated by the risingof a mechanical float 44. The level indicator 43 is located near to thehole 41 and flange 42.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith the reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versionsare possible. For example, the activator might be magnetic and actuate aswitch magnetically instead of coming into physical contact. Therefore,the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to thedescription of the preferred versions contained herein.

Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for”performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specificfunction, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause asspecified in 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶6. In particular, the use of “step of” inthe claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C.§ 112, ¶6.

What I claim is:
 1. An improved pump comprising: a pump housing; thepump housing having at least one hole; the pump housing having at leastone lip; the pump housing having a first part; the pump housing having asecond part; the second part being capable of collecting fluid; at leastone level indicator; at least one float; the at least one float beingsituated in the second part; the at least one float moving as the amountof fluid collecting in the second part increases or decreases; the atleast one float, by moving, being capable of actuating the at least onelevel indicator; the at least one level indicator emitting sound wavesupon being actuated by the at least one float; the sound waves passingthrough the at least one hole; the at least one lip interposing thesound waves.
 2. An improved pump comprising: a housing; the housinghaving a hole; the housing having a lip; a reservoir; the reservoirbeing located within the housing; the reservoir being capable ofcollecting liquid; a float; the float being located within thereservoir; a rod; the rod being attached to the float; a switch; a levelindicator; the switch electrically connected to the level indicator; theswitch being capable of actuating the level indicator; the rod beingcapable of contacting the switch; the level indicator being capable ofemitting sound waves upon being actuated by the switch; the sound wavesemitted from the level indicator exiting the pump by passing through thehole; the lip being situated sufficiently proximate to the hole wherebythe sound waves emitted from the level indicator become concentrated. 3.An improved pump for removing condensate, the pump comprising: ahousing; the housing capable of containing condensate; a float; thecondensate floating the float; an activator; the activator beingattached to the float; an audible alarm; a switch; the switch beingcapable of activating the audible alarm; the activator being capable ofcausing the switch to activate the audible alarm; an orifice; a flange;the orifice positioned sufficiently adjacent to the audible alarm suchthat sound waves emitted from the audible alarm pass through theorifice; the flange being attached to the housing; the flange beingsufficiently positioned adjacent to the orifice such that the flange isinterposing with the sound waves.